Sit down, I’ll get it [AO3]

Sitting in Obi-Wan’s quarters and watching his Jedi sleep, Cody knew
he would regret for the rest of his life that he hadn’t been at
Obi-Wan’s side for the final confrontation with the Sith. He hadn’t even
known that the confrontation was coming – but then, no one had, not so
soon after they’d determined the Sith’s identity. So on that fateful
day, Obi-Wan had been on Coruscant, and Cody in the Outer Rim. There had
been reports of suspected Separatist activity in the sector the Third
Systems Army was patrolling, and so Cody had been on duty at the conn on
the Negotiator while his Jedi – his Jedi had been fighting for his life.

In all fairness to Obi-Wan and the Council though, they hadn’t set
out to confront the Sith Lord. They had been trying rather, to gently
break the news to some hopefully sympathetic Senators, only to discover
that Skywalker had already shared their suspicions with Amidala, whose
staff wasn’t nearly as discreet as could be hoped – or perhaps not as
diligent in their counter-surveillance. The Jedi had been forced into
confrontation long before they were ready, and many of the Councillors
who had been in the Senate dome that day had given their lives in
defense of the Senators and the Republic itself.

Cody had first learned of the last gasp of the Sith via an urgent
back channels communique from vode in the Coruscant Guard. Comms had
splashed the feed directly to every possible screen, and they had all
stared transfixed as Palpatine, dual wielding, took on Obi-Wan and
Generals Windu, Yoda, Skywalker, and Tiin in the cavernous Senate dome.
General Fisto lay half out of the shot, and they couldn’t tell from the
grainy security-holo feed if the Nautolan was alive or dead. The
combatants were still at crossed blades when the emergency recall
summoned them to Coruscant at best speed. The Negotiator dropped into realspace three days later with no idea what they would find.

The relays started picking up comm chatter almost immediately.
Coruscant was under strict martial law, and General Skywalker had the
conn. The majority of the High Council and no few members of the
Loyalist Committee were either dead or in bacta. Yoda had given his
life, General Windu, his arm. Skywalker had lost an arm as well, but he
just needed to repair his prosthetic, not heal and wait to be fitted
with neural interfaces for a new prosthetic like Windu did. Cody had
held his breath until he found Obi-Wan’s name on the injury list.
Injured, not dead.

It wasn’t until he was reading a more in-depth report that Cody
realized just how much worse things could have gone. The Coruscant Guard
hadn’t yet been fully de-chipped, and the Chancellor had tried to
activate Order 66 before he was eliminated. Some of the vode had marched
on the Temple itself, and nearly cut their way through the stretched
thin cordon of Sentinels and their own brothers to try and murder the
Jedi within.

Thankfully Skywalker had prevailed, striking down the Chancellor and
countermanding the execution order. Cody didn’t doubt the brothers who
had acted against the Jedi would be inconsolable, as would those who had
killed their own in the Jedi’s defense. Their only saving grace was
that they hadn’t actually cut down any Jedi.

As soon as he had clearance, Cody made his way into the Halls of
Healing. He found Obi-Wan still and pale in his med bed, lightning trees
twining fractally up his neck and face nearly to the eyes. The blanket
hid much of the damage, but Cody knew from the report that Obi-Wan had
been badly burned over much of his body, and that it was a minor miracle
that he was alive at all, and a second that he wasn’t more seriously
injured from that much electricity coursing through him.

Some short term memory problems were expected, and Obi-Wan would be
monitored for some time to ensure his heart maintained a steady rhythm
and there wasn’t permanent memory loss. The bacta had ameliorated much
of the initial burn damage. Further treatment would likely be needed,
but the immersion had repaired Obi-Wan’s ruptured ear drums and
prevented blindness and full cardiac arrest.

Yoda hadn’t been so lucky – he’d been able to turn aside a few blasts
of the Sith’s lightning, but in the end his smaller body hadn’t been
able to withstand the effects of that much electricity. The final cause
of death had been suffocation, his unconscious body unable to draw
breath, and medical help unable to reach him in time with the fight
ongoing. Kit Fisto had died in transit, and Agen Kolar and Saesee Tiin
had already passed into the Force by the time medics reached them.

On the bed, Obi-Wan began to shift restlessly, pulling Cody’s thought
back to the present. He would wake soon, hopefully a bit more rested
now that he was back in his own bed. Cody gently smoothed back the silky
auburn hair from Obi-Wan’s face, rubbing the now pronounced streak of
white at the temple between his fingers. Faint silvery lightning trees
still traced up Obi-Wan’s neck from beneath the collar of his tunics,
and Cody knew they spread root-like over much of Obi-Wan’s torso and
legs from a central point on his abdomen. Those scars would only ever
fade with time, and never completely disappear.

Rising, Cody went out to the kitchenette, nodding at Rex, Boil, Poke,
and Waxer, who were entertaining themselves with sabacc. With deft
hands, Cody started the water and prepared a light meal for Obi-Wan.
Just gruel so far, Healer’s orders. He did add some sweetener and
berries though, to try and entice Obi-Wan’s appetite. The cereal was
done before the kettle boiled, so Cody set it aside then went to wake
Obi-Wan.

The others grinned when Cody reappeared with Obi-Wan all but slung
over his shoulder. Poke checked Obi-Wan over on the sofa, nodding his
satisfaction at Obi-Wan’s improvements. The kettle shrilled, and Obi-Wan
lurched as if to rise and make the tea. Cody shook his head, smiling.

“Sit down,” Cody said firmly, gently settling his lover. “I’ll get
it.” Obi-Wan didn’t even argue, further proof of just how poorly he
felt. Cody bent, brushing a kiss against that wing of white hair at
Obi-Wan’s temple, and went to make the tea.